


Dandelions

by SwanqueenSA



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/F, Falling In Love, Family, Fluff, Lesbian Character, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:40:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26714602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwanqueenSA/pseuds/SwanqueenSA
Summary: When Emma first visits the small town of Storybrooke she doesn't plan on staying long. But when the intriguing, feisty, and beautiful Regina and her son Henry enter her life Emma decides to extend her stay. Regina and Emma learn and grow together, healing from their past while falling for each other.No curse, no magic, lots of fluff with a little angst (and some laughs).
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Henry Mills, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, Henry Mills & Emma Swan, Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard & Emma Swan
Comments: 28
Kudos: 76





	1. Chapter 1

Emma was not the type of woman who liked to stay in one place. The longest time she had spent anywhere was 4 years in Tallahassee. She liked to think of herself as someone who travelled and explored and did not like to be tied down, but all she was really doing was running away. From what, she did not know.

So when Emma finds herself driving down a windy, heavily forested road at midnight she doesn't think anything of it. As far as she is concerned, this is where she is meant to be. Something under her carseat starts vibrating loudly. Her bright yellow beetle seems to be on its last legs. Just as Emma thinks she should find somewhere to pull over to give the car a break from driving in the wet weather she notices a sign up ahead. As she nears it she can see the words Entering Storybrooke in large white letters. She looks down at her phone's GPS. There weren't any indications of a town for the next hundred miles.

The road starts to brighten as a light shining from a clock tower can be seen over the treetops. Signs of life start showing all around her. A sign for a bed-and-breakfast, an advertisement for the upcoming Halloween festival in the town square, and then small picket fences with mailboxes and flower beds where small houses sit not far behind start appearing as Emma drives further down the main road. She drives slowly admiring the peculiar and seemingly unknown town. As she reaches a four way intersection, the largest in the town by far, she spots the bed-and-breakfast she had seen advertised. She parks her bug in front of the grey building and walks up to the front door. As she opens it a bell jingles above her. There are only two other people seated. A short, stocky man wearing a tatty beanie, and a petite woman with a pixie cut. The woman turns and half-smiles at Emma. At the counter there is an elderly lady with what seems like a permanent smile attached to her face. She beckons Emma over.

"What would you like dear?" She says warmly.

"I'd like a room," Emma replies absentmindedly as she is distracted by the 80's decor and the quiet elevator music in the background.

"Oh follow me, the entrance to the Bed-and-Breakfast is around the side, you seem to have stumbled into the heart of Granny's Diner!"

Emma can't tell whether this woman is genuinely this jovial or if she just does this for good business. While Emma is a natural pessimist, she seems to think it's the former.

Granny hands her a key, "Room 4, up the stairs and on your left."

"Thank you," Emma mumbles, stifling a yawn.

Emma wakes up to the smell of the ocean. She hadn't realised how close to the coast she had driven last night. She gets dressed and heads downstairs. The diner is loud and busy, Emma's most hated social situation. She keeps her head down and finds a seat at the counter as far away from everyone else as she can. This time a tall brunette with a shockingly bright streak of red down her long hair comes to serve Emma.

"Hi, I'm Ruby, what can I get you?"

"Emma," She nods back, "grilled cheese and hot cocoa would be great."

"Coming right up," Ruby beams and hops away.

She is definitely related to Granny, Emma thinks.

As Emma drinks her last sip of cocoa she decides that it is her new favourite drink. Ruby had added whipped cream and cinnamon and Emma thought she had died and gone to heaven after trying it. To say Ruby was glad she had impressed the blonde would be an understatement. Emma makes her way out the diner and down the front steps. As she walks along the main road she sees a line of school kids waiting to get on the bus. They look excited, she guesses it is because it's a Friday.

Emma continues her stroll and ends up on a road that is clearly where the wealthier people live. She stares up at a white mansion with evergreen shrubs surrounding the front. The front porch has 4 large pillars holding up a curved balcony above. The house looks like something out of a magazine. Just as Emma starts to look away she hears the soft purring of a 1988 Mercedes-Benz SL. Before she has time to admire the luxurious car she realises it and its owner are pulling into the driveway of the white mansion. Emma tries to make a quick escape, pushing her blonde curls in front of her face to avoid any type of communication. But that plan goes out of the window when she hears the velvety voice of a woman.

"What are you doing?"

Emma looks up. At the top of the driveway stands a slender brunette with hair cropped just above her shoulder. She is wearing a tight fitting blue dress and red heels. Emma suddenly feels underdressed in her jeans and red leather jacket. Before she has time to dwell on the matter more she notices the woman's gaze become steely. She seems impatient.

"Just going for a walk. Sorry for bothering you." Emma replied hastily.

Before the woman can reply Emma walks away, trying to hold back just making a full on run for it. Little did she know, Regina had walked down her driveway and was watching Emma half-sprint down the road with avid curiosity.

When Emma made it back to the diner she decided to go book her room for the next week. She told herself it was because she needed to rest when really there was just something magical about Storybrooke that she couldn't shake.

On Saturday morning she went down to breakfast at the Diner as she did the day before and greeted Ruby happily. She had started to grow on Emma and it seemed that the feeling was mutual.

"Hey, my friends and I are having a girls night at the bar down the street tonight. Would you like to join?" Ruby's one eyebrow was tilted up cheekily.

Emma wasn't what she would call 'the friends type' but since she was only staying for a week she didn't see the harm in having a little fun, "Sure, that sounds fun."

"Great! Meet me here at 8pm and we can walk together."

As 8pm drew nearer Emma was sifting through her suitcase. She finally found an outfit that she thought would work in a small town like this. One that was not too flashy, but not boring either. She slipped into her black leggings, red crop top and boots and grabbed her red leather jacket on her way out.

The air was fresh outside, Emma and Ruby's breath formed little clouds as they spoke. Emma was thanking her past self for bringing her jacket.

"So what brought you to Storybrooke?" Ruby asks.

"I was travelling down here from Boston when I drove through this town. It wasn't on my map so I never planned to stop here but I was tired so I booked a room," Emma shrugged.

"Where are you planning on going once you leave here?"

"I'm not sure. I don't really have a plan. I just like travelling."

"Wow you must feel so independent! I wish I could do that, but I have to look after my granny's Diner now that she is getting older."

Emma nodded. She wasn't that good with words.

"So do you have anyone waiting for you back home? Any family?" Ruby was very interested in getting to know Emma and she couldn't quite figure out why.

"Nope, just me."

Ruby seemed to falter at that answer. She had never met anyone that didn't have a family.

"Well, here we are!"

Emma was relieved at the distraction.

There was a sign above the entrance: Women Drink Free Before 9pm.

Emma laughed, "Ah ladies night. Funny," She playfully shoved Ruby.

Ruby took her hand and dragged her excitedly to a table right in the centre of the bar. Two women were waiting there. Emma immediately recognized the woman with the pixie cut she had seen at the Diner on her first night here.

"Emma this is Mary Margaret," Ruby gestured at the familiar face, "and this is Ashley," Ruby turned to gesture at a fair blonde with hair much like Emma's, only shorter.

"Hey, thanks for letting me join you."

"Of course! Ruby has told us so much about you already," Ashley teased Ruby while Mary Margaret giggled mid-sip of her cocktail. Ruby blushed.

As the night progressed Emma got more and more confident around the three women. Of course the free alcohol helped a lot. Soon it was nearing 11 and the music was starting to get louder and people were heading to the dance floor. Ruby took Emma into the crowd and started dancing with her. Emma's body felt light and her mind mushy but still her cheeks were hurting from her constant smile. This was fun. It was the most fun she had had in awhile. Ruby started getting closer so Emma wrapped her arms around her neck. She felt Ruby's hot breath on her neck and goosebumps raced down her spine. Through her foggy mind she heard Ashley and Mary Margaret howling with laughter and pushing them on. Emma giggled and threw her head back just as Ruby touched her lips to her neck. Emma gasped and held her tighter. The thought entered her mind that perhaps she shouldn't be doing this in public in a town as small as this where everyone knows everything but as soon as the thought had come, it had gone.

Emma tilted Ruby's chin up and started kissing her lustfully. This was not at all how she thought the night was going to go but she wasn't complaining. After what seemed like only seconds, Ruby pulled away and whispered, "Your room, 1am," and then she disappeared into the bathroom. Emma stumbled back to the table and chanced a glance at the two women. They burst out laughing at her sheepishness and handed her another cocktail.

Ruby and Emma said their goodbyes as the other two went their separate ways. Emma and Mary Margaret had exchanged phone numbers and planned to meet up on Monday morning for breakfast. She was excited to have a new friend.

As Emma and Ruby walked back to the Diner they struggled to keep their hands off each other. Which somewhat helped as they were both struggling to walk in a straight line. They entered Emma's dimly lit room and began tearing each other's clothes off. This was something completely unlike what Emma would normally do but right now she didn't care. They made their way to her bed and Emma fell on top of Ruby. She began slowly working her way down Ruby's gorgeous body and didn't stop until Ruby was moaning her name.

Emma awoke with a blinding headache. She looked around the room and saw her clothes strewn across the floor. There was no sign of Ruby. Maybe she was working downstairs? Sundays were a busy day for the diner. Emma hoped she was right. She groggily climbed out of bed and headed for the shower.

As she made her way downstairs she was relieved to spot Ruby working at the bar table.

"Hey Rubs!"

"Oh hey Emma, you look like shit," Ruby laughed.

"I feel like shit too. Thanks for last night. I had a great time."

"Me too", Ruby winked.

"I just wanted to tell you that what happened last night was very unlike me and that I'm not someone who goes and sleeps with every pretty girl she sees. That won't happen again."

"Oh okay," Ruby deflated. She had developed a crush on Emma. "Well as long as we can still be friends?"

"Yeah, I'd like that." Emma smiled.

Later that day Emma found herself down by the docks staring into the sea. She enjoyed spending time with her thoughts, it was all the company she had most days.

"Now what's a pretty blonde like you doing down here, love?"

Emma turned to see a stubbled man with messy brown hair and a black leather jacket a lot like hers.

"Don't call me love," Emma threatened.

"Sorry," He paused, "lass."

Emma laughed at his new choice of nickname. "What are you, Scottish?"

"Irish thank you very much. The name's Killian Jones. You?"

"Emma Swan."

"You're a new face around this small town Emma."

"Just passing through." Emma wasn't sure she liked this Killian.

"Ah, like ships in the night."

Emma burst out laughing, "You sound like you were born 100 years ago."

"And you look like you nearly died last night," He retorted.

"I nearly did,'' Emma laughed, "of alcohol poisoning," she clarified.

"Sounds like my kind of night Swan."

It had only been one weekend and Emma had made three new friends. She was starting to like Storybrooke more and more. Monday morning rolled around and Emma sat at a booth in the diner with Mary Margaret sipping on hot cocoa with cinnamon. They were getting along really well. Emma heard the bell jingle as the door of the diner was opened. The beautiful brunette Emma had seen outside the mansion just 3 days ago walked in. Her hand was resting protectively on a young boy's shoulder. The two went to the bar and ordered something before they walked over to Emma and Mary Margaret.

"Regina, it's nice to see you," Mary Margaret said with a nervous smile.

"Likewise Miss Blanchard," Regina turned to look at Emma curiously before turning back to Mary Margaret, "I'm going to pick up Henry early from school today, he has a doctor's appointment."

"Okay, that's not a problem." Mary Margaret smiled warmly at Henry. He was her favourite student.

"And I don't believe we've met," Regina spoke to Emma, "I'm Regina, mayor of Storybrooke."

"Hi, I'm Emma Swan," She looked up into the most beautiful chestnut eyes.

"Oh you're the Emma everyone has been talking about. We don't often have any newcomers around here. And of course, you made your arrival even more noticeable by becoming Ruby's latest," Regina scoffed.

Emma stared dumbfounded before finding her voice, "Yes, we're friends."

"I see." Regina said before turning on her heels, picking up the bag of to-go food she ordered, and leaving with Henry. Regina didn't know why she felt the need to be rude to the blonde but there was something about her that lit her insides on fire. She had been intrigued by the blonde when she saw her walking past her house but upon meeting her, Regina couldn't decide whether the blonde infuriated her or whether the fact that the blonde sleeping with the waitress with too-short skirts made her infuriated.

"What's her problem?" Emma asked irritatingly.

"Oh she's just like that. Always had been. Don't worry about, gossip just travels fast in this town." Mary Margaret assured.

"Teaching her son must be a joy," Emma remarked sarcastically.

"Oh no I love Henry. He is a special boy. His imagination is striking. He doesn't have many friends, he seems to be kind of an outcast. But his therapist, Dr Hopper, is helping him a lot. That's the doctor Regina said he was seeing today."

"I'm surprised the kid turned out so different from his mother." Emma thought out loud.

"Oh yes, but Regina adopted him when he was a baby so maybe those characteristics come from his birth mother." Mary Margaret smiled fondly.

Emma was surprised by this news. From their brief encounter, Emma would never have picked fiery Regina out as an adoptive mother.

"I have to get to school. Thanks for breakfast. I'll see you soon?" Mary Margaret asked while gathering her things.

"Definitely," Emma smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

Before Emma knew it, Thursday rolled around. She had spent an entire week in Storybrooke. Most days were spent exploring the town, going out for breakfast with Mary Margaret and on one particularly boring day she had agreed to go out for a drink with Killian. He had started to grow on her. It helped that the two had the same taste in girls, they spent the night drunkenly reminiscing on previous girlfriends and exaggeratingly describing their perfect woman. She hadn’t seen Regina since Monday morning at Granny’s.

On Thursday morning Emma was busy eating a grilled cheese sandwich when Mary Margaret slipped into her booth.

“Hey, so I know you’re leaving today but I was thinking if you wanted to stay longer I have a loft bedroom that I would be happy to let you stay in.”

Emma thought about this proposition for a second before spontaneously deciding, “That sounds great. I would love to stay a little longer. Living together will be fun!”

Mary Margaret gave a little squeal of excitement before adding, “You know, David just told me about an open position as deputy sheriff at the Sheriff’s Department if you want to stay even longer? It would be a good source of income, plus the hours are really flexible since not much goes on in this small town.”

“Ooh is this the David you have a crush on?” Emma asked cheekily.

Mary Margaret blushed, “Yeah, but hey I can put in a good work for you if you’d like?”

“That actually sounds like a really good plan. This town is growing on me,” Emma smiled, “and I’ve met some really great friends,” she nudged Mary Margaret fondly.

  
  


Come Friday afternoon Emma had already unpacked her few belongings into her new loft bedroom at Mary Margaret's apartment. Her job interview with David Nolan, the Sheriff of Storybrooke, was the following morning and Emma was starting to feel nervous. She had met David once before but any sort of commitment gave Emma butterflies and committing to a job was a big deal in her eyes.

“Is that all you have?” Mary Margaret asked as she reached the top of the stairs.

“Yeah, I move around a lot and my bug is small so this is pretty much all that can fit in the trunk.” Emma held out the only possession she owned that was given to her by her parents. It was a cotton baby blanket with the name ‘Emma’ embroidered on it in purple.

“Wow that beautiful, who made it for you?”

“I don’t know, this was the only thing that I had on me when I was found as a baby,” Emma sighed wistfully.

“Wait, you were _found_?”

“I grew up in the foster system. I was found on the side of the road near a gas station wrapped in this blanket.” Emma left out the part about the gas station being just a few miles away from Storybrooke. She had been suppressing the idea that maybe that was why she decided to stay here longer than she normally would in any other place.

“Wow, I’m sorry about that Emma.”

Emma shrugged. She liked to tell herself she was over it. However, her constant worry of abandonment and fear of commitment begged otherwise.

“I’m not. Sorry I mean. I’m not. It made me who I am today.”

Mary Margaret nodded slowly before asking, “Would you like some hot cocoa?”

Emma closed the door to her apartment and ran up to Mary Margaret, “I got the job! I start on Monday.”

“Oh Emma that’s great, I’m so happy for you.”

Emma beamed. This was her first job in a while and it was good timing, her savings were starting to run low.

“Isn’t it funny that Regina is going to be your boss,” Mary Margaret chuckled, shaking her head.

Emma’s head shot up from looking at her phone, “What? I thought David was my boss.”

“He is, but above him is Regina, as mayor she oversees any municipal organisation in this town.”

“I hadn’t thought of that. Better suck up to her, she already has a bad opinion of me.”

“Oh you’ll win her over… hopefully,” Mary Margaret sighed. She had known Regina since she ran for office 7 years ago and no one besides Henry had succeeded in breaking the tough exterior of the mayor.

  
  


Emma walked into the Sheriff's station on Monday morning, her first day on the job. As she placed her to-go coffee cup on her new desk she heard heels clicking down the hallway. She turned just as Regina entered the room.

“Morning Miss Swan,” Regina said indifferently.

Emma cleared her throat, something about the mayor made her nervous, “Morning Madam Mayor. What can I do for you?”

“I just came by to tell you that our town meetings are every Thursday evening at 6p.m. sharp and I expect all the week's paperwork to be done by then so we can review it during the meetings.”

“Got it.”

Regina eyed the blonde. She seemed to be wearing the exact same thing she had worn when she had first spoken to her a week ago: jeans, a white vest, and a red leather jacket. Regina rolled her eyes. She couldn’t believe this woman was going to be working for her. She could hardly handle the unorganized Sheriff and she got the feeling that Deputy Swan was going to be worse. Regina somehow felt threatened by Emma. She couldn’t quite place her finger on it but in the back of her mind the thought of her being with Ruby made her twitch. Jealousy? Of course not. Never.

Regina placed a stack of papers down on Emma’s desk. She was close enough to smell the vanilla shampoo scent of Emma’s hair and it made her throat dry.

She cleared her throat hastily, “For Thursday,” she indicated at the papers and swept out the room.

Emma was left staring after her. She remained like that until David walked in a minute later.

“Morning Emma!” He glanced down at the tall pile of paperwork on her desk, “I see Regina’s already been here, I hope she wasn’t too icy,” he chuckled.

  
  


“I’m telling you, she has something against me!” Emma complained as her and Killian ate dinner together at Granny’s. “You should see how much paperwork she had me fill out this week. I haven’t left my desk in three days. I am not looking forward to this town meeting tomorrow evening.

“I feel for you Swan. But hey, at least you get to stare at the mayor for an entire hour,” he winked.

Emma snorted, “Yeah right, like she’s my type.”

“Well from what I’ve gathered she is,” Killian said, raising an eyebrow, “brunette, check; dark eyes, check; oh, and should we add ‘often wears a power suit’ to that list?”

“Ha ha very funny.” Emma was unamused. Regina was a pain in the ass and that was all.

“Tell you what, how about after your loathsome meeting tomorrow you come over to my place so we can talk about how terrible she was to look at?” Killian hooted with laughter as Emma threw him a warning glare.

  
  


Emma parked her yellow beetle outside Town Hall and made her way inside. People were filing in and taking their seats around a long wooden table. The only person Emma recognized was the head of the church, Mother Superior, whom she had seen at Granny’s Diner. Emma chose a seat right in the middle of the length of the table, hoping to go unnoticed. She placed the large stack of paperwork Regina had ordered to be finished in front of her.

Regina was the last to walk in. As always she was wearing a sophisticated and flattering suit. Blue looked good on her Emma thought to herself before shaking her head to clear it. When she saw Regina glance down at the completed work in front of her Emma gave her a smug smirk and the brunette raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

Emma zoned out the whole way through the meeting. All she could concentrate on was the way Regina’s painted red lips moved as she spoke and the way her forehead creased when she was concentrating.

“Miss Swan.”

A man next to Emma nudged her. She looked up and saw Regina glaring at her.

“Yes?”

“I asked you a question,” Regina growled.

“May you please repeat it?” Emma bit her lip, feeling a blush crawling up her neck.

“I said,” Regina paused to make her exasperation and irritation known, “can you do that?”

“Um, yes.”

Regina nodded. Emma let out a relieved breath she didn’t know she was holding. She had guessed the answer Regina wanted to hear, now all she needed to do was figure out what she agreed to do.

The blonde infuriated her. Regina could tell she was not paying any attention at all and kept seeing her piercing green eyes drift down to her lips. Of course, she was wearing that hideous leather jacket again. Regina didn’t think she had ever seen her without it. She had to admit she was impressed Miss Swan had completed the excessive amount of paperwork she had given to her although it did frustrate her. She wanted to one up the blonde and show her who was boss and the intimidating smirk she received from her only added fuel to the fire.

Regina saw Henry waiting just outside the entrance to the meeting room as he gave her a wave. She winked back before adjourning the meeting for the week. She gathered her things and headed to her son whom she embraced in a quick hug.

“How was school and your playdate with Nicholas?”

“It was good! Me and Nic played soccer during recess. I won,” Henry puffed out his tiny chest proudly.

His mom chuckled at his competitiveness which he definitely learnt from her.

As the pair were making their way to their car Regina spotted Emma from across the parking lot staring intently at Henry. She had a confused and hesitant look on her face. Regina tried to ignore her and got into her car with Henry and drove home.

  
  


“Mary Margaret!” Emma called frantically as she entered the apartment.

“I’m right here,” She looked up from the book she was reading.

“How old is Henry?”

“He’s ten, why?”

“Do you know when his birthday is?”

“I don’t know the exact date, but I’m pretty sure it’s in August. He always complains that the school year starts just before his birthday.” Mary Margaret smiled fondly.

Emma let out a shaky breath. This was just a coincidence. She was being irrational. She was tired.

“I’m going to bed.”

“It’s only 7:30. Emma?” Mary Margaret called but Emma had already run upstairs.

Emma downed a sleeping tablet and fell into bed, ready for the day to be over. She woke up on the street of the mayor's house. She stopped outside the white mansion and saw the boy walking towards her. He ran and gave her a hug. When she looked down he wasn’t a ten year old boy anymore, he was an infant bundled up in a hospital blanket resting in her embrace. Emma froze. She stared down at her baby boy as he cried and struggled in her arms. A second later Henry pulled out of the hug and looked up at her, “Mom? Are you okay?”

Emma jolted awake. Her forehead was damp with sweat and her heart was racing. She looked at the clock. It was only 8:15p.m. She had barely slept thirty minutes. She went downstairs and made herself a cup of tea.

“Do you want tea?” Emma called to Mary Margaret but she got no reply.

She stuck her head into her room and saw it was empty. Emma sighed and rubbed her eyes. She sat down on the sofa in the living room and before she had even had a sip of her drink, the sleeping tablet did its work and knocked her out. She fell into a now dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just thought I'd share some stuff about me so I'm not a stranger to you all. I'm 19, I identify as lesbian (the swanqueen fandom actually helped me accept myself) and this is the third book I have written, but the first SQ one.
> 
> I am studying English at university so hopefully my writing should improve over time.
> 
> Thank you to everyone. You have all shown so much love and I am so excited to share the rest of this story with you!


	3. Chapter 3

“Emma, Emma wake up.”

Emma jolted awake to Mary Margaret shaking her.

“You fell asleep on the couch. Is everything okay?” Mary Margaret looked concerned.

“What? Oh yes, um, where were you last night?” Emma slowly started regaining her bearings.

“Oh that doesn’t matter,” the teacher avoided the question, “You have work in half an hour.”

“Oh shit, thanks for waking me up.”

“No problem, I’m off to school, see you later.” Mary Margaret waved before grabbing her bag and heading out the door.

Emma quickly got dressed and brushed her teeth, forgetting about breakfast completely. As she drove to work her mind kept replaying the dream she had had about her son. The son she had given up for adoption ten years ago. The son that looked so much like Henry.

“David, do you know what that thing I told Regina I could do in the meeting yesterday was?” Emma asked as she walked into the station. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Regina perched on her desk.

“Glad to know you were paying attention Miss Swan.”

“Yup, sure was. What are you doing here?”

“I’m good, thank you for asking.”

Emma rolled her eyes.

“I’m here to give you this,” Regina pointed to a file sitting next to her, “you made multiple mistakes in your paperwork. Rushing perhaps?”

“Oh give me a break Madam Mayor, it’s my first week,” Emma grabbed the file and flipped through it seeing a whole lot of red scribbles on it. “Thanks for marking it, I’ll make sure to learn from my mistakes Miss,” Emma snidely remarked.

Regina got up from the desk. She was as tall as Emma but only when wearing heels. “My pleasure dear. Have fun on your night shifts Deputy, I’m sure David will be happy you’ve taken that off his very busy schedule.” Regina smirked. There was no way Emma would be able to finish the paperwork she would give her _and_ do night shifts three times a week.

“Right…” Emma sighed.

“See you at the next meeting,” Regina flashed a beautiful but threatening smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Right,” Emma repeated, lost for words. The audacity of Regina to so outright hate her astounded her.

Just before Regina had left the room Emma found her voice, “Wait!”

Regina turned around slowly, eyeing the blonde suspiciously.

“Where did you adopt Henry?” Emma was hoping it was nowhere near where she gave birth.

“Why?” Regina didn’t understand or care why Emma wanted to know but her curiosity got the better of her.

“No reason.” Emma shrugged, trying to act casual.

“Boston.”

Emma fell back onto her chair.

“Is that all?” Regina questioned.

Emma didn’t, _couldn’t_ , reply. The brunette sighed and left. She had better things to do than spend time thinking about Miss Swan.

During their lunch break, Emma and David were making small talk. David looked particularly giddy. Emma guessed she knew why.

“So what did you do last night?”

A frantic expression passed over his face before it settled and he calmly said, “Not much. Kathryn and I stayed in and watched a movie.”

“Kathryn?” Emma was confused.

“My wife,” He smiled.

“You have a wife?” Emma struggled to hold in her shock. How was that possible?

“Yeah, I thought you knew,” he held out his left hand and flashed the ring.

“I thought you and Mar-”

The work phone started ringing and Emma picked it up. “Deputy Swan here.”

“Have to run, something about a drunk guy walking along Mainstreet with a bat.” Emma stuffed her gun into its holster, grabbed her jacket and left.

“Ah, duty calls,” David chuckled, thanking the local drunk, Leroy, for getting him out of that conversation.

Emma and Mary Margaret were sitting around the dining table eating pre-packaged macaroni and cheese. Neither of them attempted to start a conversation. They had both had a rough day. Mary Margaret’s heart was wracked with guilt while Emma’s mind was filled with questions. As soon as they had finished dinner Mary Margaret got up to clear the plates. Emma joined her in the kitchen.

“Do you think there’s any way for someone to find their child after a closed adoption?” Emma blurted out.

Mary Margaret looked up at Emma, “Is this about your parents?”

“Yes,” Emma lied.

“I don’t know. I don’t think any adoption agencies would give information to anyone involved in a closed adoption. Although, I know of a website that matches parents with their children, or rather visa versa. It’s called whosyourmomma.com or something like that.”

“Huh, okay.” Emma considered this information. She really needed someone to speak to and Mary Margaret was the only person she trusted enough to tell the truth.

“Actually, this isn’t about my parents.”

Mary Margaret looked up from the sink, “Oh, then what is it about?”

“My kid.”

“You have a kid?” The brunette dropped the plate she was holding into the hot water, splashing soap all over her dress.

“Yeah,” Emma hesitated, “He would have turned ten this August.” Emma looked up to see if Mary Margaret was following. She looked confused, so she continued, “I gave birth to him in Boston.”

Mary Margaret's eyes softened, “You think Henry could be your son?”

Emma shrugged. A feeling of embarrassment swept over her. Once she had heard the words out loud she realized how silly it sounded. There were probably hundreds of boys adopted every year in Boston. A simple birthday month that matched didn’t mean anything. “I know, it’s stupid. I just had this dream last night that Henry was my kid. He called me Mom.”

Mary Margaret came closer and put her hands on Emma’s shoulders. “I don’t think there is anything to worry about. I think all of the connections you have made are just pure coincidence.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Emma sighed.

“You could always phone the adoption agency you used and ask if they could give you any information. Maybe they have something that could rule out the possibility that your son is Henry, just for your peace of mind.” Mary Margaret suggested.

“I’ll phone tomorrow,” Emma resolved. She changed the topic, “Where did you go last night? When I came downstairs just after 8pm. you weren’t here.”

“I - I went to meet Ruby at Granny’s. She said she had something she needed to talk about.” Mary Margaret stuttered.

“Is she okay?” Emma played along.

“Yes, she’s fine.”

“Good,” Emma smiled sympathetically.

Deep down, Mary Margaret knew that Emma knew it was a lie but she was glad she hadn’t pushed her.

Emma was walking down Mainstreet, she had decided to walk to work today, as she passed a peculiar looking shop. The sign above read Mr. Gold Pawnbroker and Antiquities Dealer. She saw a weathered man behind the counter shaking his head at Ruby through the window. Ruby was making large gestures at him. She turned and stormed out, nearly bumping into Emma as she exited the shop.

“Woah, what’s going on Ruby?”

Ruby sighed and rubbed her forehead, “That’s Mr. Gold. He won’t give Granny and I an extra week to pay rent this month, which would be fine except for the fact that now Granny has been told she needs to take this medication every day which puts a pretty big dent in our income.”

“I’m sorry Rubs, is there anything I can do?” Emma asked, rubbing Ruby’s back comfortingly.

“You’re Deputy Sheriff, could you give me permission to hit the guy over the head?” Ruby cracked a smile.

“ ‘fraid not,” the blonde chuckled.

“Damn, worth a shot.”

“I’m on my way to work, want to walk with me ‘till we reach Granny’s?” Emma asked.

“Sure! Oh my word I have to tell you about this guy I met. His name’s Billy.”

They started walking down the road as Emma listened to Ruby’s story about her new crush. Emma made sure to nod or giggle at appropriate times. After a few moments Emma looked away from Ruby and saw a black Mercedes driving quickly past.

When Emma arrived at work she went straight to David’s desktop. Weekends were the only days she didn’t have paperwork to fill out. She opened the internet and signed into Incognito mode to ensure no trace of her searches could be tracked. The first thing she searched was _Full Circle Adoption_ , the adoption agency she used when she had her baby. She dialed the number on her cellphone and waited. She couldn’t breathe. Her heart was banging in her chest.

“ _Full Circle Adoption, how may I help?_ ”

“Hi, I was just wondering if there was any way I would be able to find out who adopted my baby? He went into the foster system and I was told he was under your care before he got adopted.”

“ _Was it an open or closed adoption Mam?_ ”

“It was closed,” Emma cringed. She knew this was a deal breaker.

“ _I’m sorry but we cannot reveal any information about a child when it was a closed adoption. It is possible to reverse the adoption but that must be done through the court._ ”

Emma deflated, “Is there anyone you can refer me to that can help me reverse the adoption?”

“ _Yes, of course._ ”

After hanging up the phone, Emma stuffed the piece of paper with the number the woman on the phone had given her inside her pocket. She put her arms on the desk and slouched over to rest on them. This was ridiculous. What if she got a hold of the files and found that her baby had been adopted by someone nowhere close to Boston and the resemblance between her baby and Henry was just a coincidence. Emma lifted her head off of her arms as an idea struck her. She searched for the number of a private investigator near Boston and phoned the first person that popped up.

“So all I need to do is give him my name and Regina and Henry’s names and then he’ll send me everything he can find!” Emma was so relieved to have found someone who could help her. She was ready to put this hunch behind her and carry on with her life, child free. “This is just a precaution. I know it’s not going to be a match so there’s no harm, right?”

“Sure,” Mary Margaret didn’t make eye contact.

“What?”

“I don’t know, this just doesn’t seem very ethical,” the brunette shrugged.

“Well luckily all the foul play is on me, so you have nothing to worry about,” Emma retorted.

Mary Margaret looked up, abashed.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap.” Emma got up from the dining table and cleared their plates, leaving the tense air behind her.

“It’s okay, I get it. You’re just stressed,” Mary Margaret said in her usual calm voice.

“I’m not stressed.” the blonde faked assurance.

Mary Margaret nodded and decided not to push Emma any further.

“So I have something to tell you too,” Mary Margaret started slowly.

Emma immediately recognized the look on her face and said, “It’s about David isn’t it?”

“How did you know?” Mary Margaret really thought she had been subtle.

“It’s obvious, you get that face, in my head I call it the Davie Face,” she laughed, whipping her curls back and batting her eyelids dramatically.

“We kissed,” the small woman blurted out in an equally small voice.

“What! He’s married!”

Mary Margaret’s face scrunched up and she started biting her nails, “I know, I know, I just… He asked to see me on Thursday night by the Toll Bridge and he told me he was going to leave Kathryn.”

“I knew it. My lie detector went off when you said you went to Granny’s to talk to Ruby,” Emma stated simply.

“Your what?”

Emma waved her hand, ignoring the question, “You can’t see him again. Gossip spreads fast in this town, you said it yourself! If anyone catches on to you two your reputation will be ruined. Can you imagine what the school would do?” It was the first time Emma was being the reasonable and responsible one in their friendship.

“I know,” Mary Margaret repeated, “this is such a mess.”

“No, it isn’t. Tell David you won’t see him until he separates with his wife.”

“Easier said than done Emma. Haven’t you ever been head over heels for someone?”

Images of Emma’s son’s father went racing through her mind.

“I see him around town all the time, how am I supposed to stay away?” Mary Margaret signed exasperatedly. 

“I don’t know,” Emma replied honestly. In an attempt to uplift her roommate, Emma asked, “I’m going to The Rabbit Hole with Killian tonight if you’d like to join? Maybe let loose,” she did a little jiggle with her shoulders and winked.

“Sure, I guess it’ll help get my mind off of things.”

Emma, Killian, and Mary Margaret were sitting in a curved booth in the back corner of the bar. Emma was sipping her Long Island Ice Tea, Killian, his rum, and Mary Margaret a Gin and Tonic. Emma and Killian acted like children when they were tipsy, both laughing and making grand gestures and expressions while telling dramatic stories that were arguably not true. Mary Margaret on the other hand had drifted towards people watching and was secretly hoping David would show up. Someone caught her attention. A brunette wearing all black, including a black leather skirt down to just below her knees was marching directly to a man busy playing pool.

Mary Margaret quickly shoved Emma in the ribs and pointed, “Look it’s Regina.”

Emma looked over and she had to concentrate on keeping her jaw from dropping. “What is she doing here?”

Regina looked like she was going to explode. A vein was popping on her forehead and her hands were on her hips. Emma caught the words ‘they are ten!’ but that’s all she managed to hear.

“What do you think the poor guy did,” Killian laughed sympathetically.

“Who knows, but it had to be bad for her to come all the way to this hell hole, as I’ve heard her call it,” Mary Margaret said.

“Maybe it’s something about Henry. Mary Margaret, do you know that guy?” Emma asked.

“Yeah his daughter’s in my class. Her name is Grace.”

“Aye, I think you hit the nail on the head there Emma,” Killian side-eyed her.

They watched as Regina had the last word and started walking towards the exit. Emma’s eyes followed her navigating through the crowd, and then suddenly she was looking directly into brown eyes. Regina halted for a second, before rolling her eyes at Emma’s choice of company and leaving.

Emma got up from her seat.

“Where are you going?” Mary Margaret asked, wide-eyed.

“I’m just going to make sure everything is okay,” Emma flashed her deputy badge as her excuse, before following Regina out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please hit that Kudos button and follow this story for notifications when I update!  
> I hope you guys liked this chapter. Leave a comment to let me know xxx


	4. Chapter 4

“Regina wait!” Emma called, exiting the bar. A gust of cold air hit her face.  
Regina turned around begrudgingly. She was not in the mood to talk to the blonde.  
“What Miss Swan?” Regina said bluntly.  
“I just wanted to check if everything was okay. Who is that man?”  
“His name is Jefferson. Why do you need to know?”  
“Well, as Deputy Sheriff it’s important that I know what goes on in town and that looked close to becoming a bar fight.”  
“No need to worry Miss Swan, he’s just an irresponsible father.”  
“Right, Grace, his daughter, is in Henry’s class.”  
“Why are you so invested in my son Miss Swan?”  
“I- I’m not, Mary Margaret just told me.” Emma couldn’t tell if she stuttered because of the cold or because of nerves.  
“Hmm, she’s quite the gossip it seems. Jefferson did nothing against the law dear, he merely left his daughter and my son unattended while he went to a bar. Completely inappropriate for two ten year old's, wouldn’t you say?” Regina raised an eyebrow.  
Emma nodded quickly.  
“Now, you can go back to Miss Blanchard and Guyliner, I know how to parent my own child.”  
“Okay,” the irony struck Emma and she cringed, “see you around.”  
Emma turned and entered the bar to see the expectant eyes of Mary Margaret and Killian waiting to hear what had just happened. Anyone who spoke to Regina while she was angry may as well dig their own grave, but Emma had left unharmed. She was the first.

Emma was on the edge of her seat, staring at her cellphone. It was exactly a week since she had contacted her private investigator and she was expecting a call any day now. The sound of it suddenly bursting to life sent a shiver down Emma’s spine. She picked it up and held it to her ear.  
“Hello?”  
“Mornin’ love, fancy going out for lunch to Granny’s later today?” Killian asked on the other end of the phone.  
“Ugh, no thanks, I’m busy.”  
“What’s wro-”  
Emma cut him off. Her hands were sweating and her heart was still racing. She needed to get her nerves under control.  
“Who was that?” Mary Margaret asked, walking out of her bedroom.  
“It was just Killian, he asked if I wanted to get lunch with him but I can’t. Not when I should be expecting the call today,” Emma huffed.  
Mary Margaret pulled up a dining table chair and faced it to the couch where Emma was sitting. “Why don’t you tell me about him? Your baby? I don’t know much about your life before Storybrooke.”  
Emma felt uncomfortable. She hid her face by looking down at her lap. She took a strand of her long curly blonde hair and started twirling it around her finger. “Well… I had him when I was eighteen.” She looked up, expecting the brunette to be shocked but she was just smiling gently and openly. Emma started to relax. “I didn’t know what I was going to do. I didn’t have parents who could help me and my boyfriend, his father, left me before he knew I was pregnant.” She decided to leave out the fact that he had set her up and gotten her thrown in jail. “When I was in labour in the hospital all I could think about was how lonely and horrible my childhood had been and how I didn’t want that for him. When the doctor asked if I wanted to hold him I planned on saying no but I instinctively held out my hands.” Emma was smiling sadly. “He was so small. So innocent. So breakable. I couldn’t hurt him. I had to give him his best chance. The doctors left me alone with him for five minutes before I called them to take him away. I knew if I stayed with him I wouldn’t be able to give him away. He was so perfect. I remember thinking that even his screams were the best sound in the whole world. He had these big brown eyes and tiny little lips. He was pure magic.” Emma suddenly stopped talking. She hadn’t meant to drone on and on. She never normally revealed such personal things to anyone. A small tear slid down her cheek. She wiped it away, laughed shakily and stood up to go get water from the kitchen.  
Mary Margaret turned towards the kitchen in her chair and said, “He sounds lovely.”  
Emma smiled into her glass of water, “He was.”  
“If Henry isn’t your son, do you think you will try to look for him?”  
“I don’t know. I always wished my parents tried to find me but that was because I was never adopted. I don’t think he would want to see me since he already has a family that he was adopted into when he was just two weeks old. I wouldn’t want to disrupt his life like that.”  
Mary Margaret nodded slowly before asking, “Do you want Henry to be your son? I mean, maybe that’s why you are so desperate to know.”  
“It would be easier if he wasn’t.” Emma avoided the question.  
Emma got out her phone and sent a quick text to Killian: Sorry for blowing you off. I’m really busy today. I’ll catch you up soon x  
As soon as Emma sent the message her phone started ringing again. She looked wide-eyed at Mary Margaret who nodded her head. Emma answered the call.  
“Miss Swan, hi. I have all the answers and paperwork you requested and I’ve emailed them to you.”  
Emma nodded. “So, is Henry Mills… you know?” She couldn’t quite get the words out.  
“Yes, the documents I have gathered show that your son was adopted by a Regina Mills who resides in Storybrooke. She is actually the mayor in fact. You can look through all the details in the email I sent as well as my payment fee. I hope this news is what you wanted.”  
“Okay, thank you for your help. I’ll send an EFT payment by the end of the day.” She put down the phone.  
Emma looked over at an awaiting Mary Margaret. She couldn’t hear or speak and everything was a blur. She did a quick nod before slumping against the island counter. This wasn’t happening. This was supposed to just be a precaution. She should never have hired that private investigator. She should never have meddled. Hell, she should have left this town after her one week stay, not gone and gotten a bloody place to live and a job.  
“What am I supposed to do now?” Emma asked in a whisper.  
“I don’t know,” Mary Margaret answered honestly.  
Without another word Emma grabbed her keys and left.

She made her way to the Sheriff’s station. When she arrived she had already forgotten how she got there. She seemed to be working on auto-pilot. She sat down at her desk, opened her emails and printed out the adoption documents that were sent to her. She spread them out on her desk and read over every single word. Twice.  
It suddenly dawned on her that her baby, the baby she never thought she’d ever see again, was probably eating his dinner just five minutes away. Her mind pictured what he was doing and then his mother came into the picture. Regina Mills. When she looked down at the documents Regina’s name and signatures that were all over the pages seemed to be popping out at her and slapping her in the face. She had just found her son, but she had also found his mother. His protective, icy, strict, and red-leather-jacket-hating mother.  
That night Emma had the same dream about Henry. Only this time, as she looked down at her baby in her arms Regina appeared in front of her, grabbed him out of Emma’s hold, stared intensely into her eyes and said “Stay away”.

“I have to tell her,” Emma said while drinking hot cocoa with Mary Margaret before they both headed off to work.  
“Do you think that’s the best idea? Telling her will put Henry in your life for good. Right now neither he or Regina know who you are. You can go and live your life like this never happened. This is a massive commitment you are making. It is a choice that could mean the difference between whether or not you become a mother,” Mary Margaret said.  
Emma hadn’t thought about it like that. She had been so focused on herself that she didn’t even realize how drastic the consequences of her actions could be for Henry.  
“I already am a mother,” Emma said with confidence, “I was a mother the minute I fell pregnant with Henry. I gave him up as a mother wanting the best for my baby.”  
Mary Margaret smiled. It wasn’t often Emma showed her vulnerable side but whenever she did Mary Margaret felt a surge of what could only be called sisterly love. The two women had grown close during the past few weeks, already sharing private jokes and deep dark secrets with each other.  
“Well then I think that decides it then,” Mary Margaret said with a wide smile.  
“I suppose it does,” Emma smiled back, “I’m off, have a good day at work. Make sure Henry is doing okay, won’t you?”

Emma stood outside the mayor's office door. Her hand was ready to knock but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She stood back, shook her hands and jumped up and down on the spot to loosen up. She let out a deep breath and knocked.  
“Come in.” Emma heard from inside the room.  
Emma tentatively opened the door and stepped inside. The office was large and looked like it had come straight out of a magazine. It had marble floors and the only colours present were black and white. The wallpaper had thin tree trunks growing up towards the ceiling. On the left there was a large statement fireplace with a sofa and armchairs surrounding it. On the right there was a long table with elegantly decorated dining chairs. A bowl of bright red apples was placed in the middle of the table. Above Emma, hung an enormous chandelier. However, the thing that stood out most about the room was directly in front of her. A large glass desk, framed by a tall window with billowing black and white curtains. At the desk sat Regina Mills. She was dressed in a grey dress and black stilettos. Regina looked up to see the comparingly underdressed Miss Swan standing in the middle of the room, sticking out like a sore thumb.  
“I’ll drop the papers off tomorrow morning dear, you can have a paperwork-free Monday. Consider it a thank you for doing such excellent law-enforcing on the weekend,” Regina said sarcastically.  
Emma brushed off the rude comment, gathered her confidence and walked straight up to the desk so she was looking down at Regina. Regina looked up in surprise and amusement. She gestured to the seating area, “Let’s sit.”  
Emma went and took a seat on the sofa facing the fireplace while Regina looked at her from the armchair. She crossed her legs and placed her arms on the armrests in an authoritative manner.  
“What can I do for you then, Miss Swan.”  
“I have some documents to show you.” Emma handed over the file she was holding. Her heart was about to jump out of her chest, she felt certain Regina could hear it.  
Regina opened the file, expecting it to be about work, but when she saw it was an adoption document panic fluttered across her face. It didn’t go unnoticed by Emma.  
“You’re Henry’s birth mother?” Regina’s voice had a lighter pitch than usual, her arrogant and intimidating charade had fallen for just a second.  
“Hi,” Emma tried to smile, hoping to lighten the mood.  
“It was a closed adoption, how did you get these?” Regina’s threatening voice was back.  
“Does it matter?” Emma hoped it didn’t.  
“Yes it matters Miss Swan! This is my private information and you exploited it. What you did is highly illegal. I have half a mind to fire you right now.” Regina raised her voice.  
Emma cringed. This wasn’t going well.  
“Look, when Henry was with you outside of Town Hall the other day I got to see him properly. When I saw him at Granny’s it was crowded and I was distracted but when I saw his face out in the open I recognized him. I just had this gut feeling. And then that night I had a dream that he was my baby.” Emma knew her words were jumbled and her sentences weren’t making much sense.  
Regina scoffed, “A dream? This whole thing was because of a dream?”  
“I know it’s sounds stupid but I was right! I didn’t mean to intrude on your private information but I just had to know.”  
“And now that you do? What do you assume will happen now?”  
Emma looked down sheepishly, “I hadn’t really thought about what would happen if he was my son. I just knew I needed to tell you.”  
“Let me make one thing clear Miss Swan. He is my son, you are merely the woman who gave birth to him.”  
“Right.” Emma’s heart sank. She should have known better. She couldn’t expect someone, especially Regina, to just let her into their life because she was here now. She was the one that gave Henry away. This is what she wanted… or rather, what was the best decision to make for her baby. “Could I atleast see him?”  
This sparked a nerve in Regina. She looked up, seething. “No you cannot see him! You gave him away. He is not yours. You have no right to him. I am his mother.”  
“But-”  
“Please leave Miss Swan.” Regina felt like she wanted to scream and cry at the same time. The idea of Henry’s birth mother had always haunted her. The idea that some woman out there in the world was forever connected to her son in a way she never will be, and now that very woman was standing right in front of her.  
Emma slowly got up off the sofa, keeping eye contact with Regina the entire time. When she had exited the office she ran out of the building as fast as she could. When she made it to her car she leant against it. Tears were spilling over her cheeks. She let out an anguished cry and kicked the tire of the car. When her eyes had cleared she got in and drove away as fast as possible.  
Behind her, looking through her office window, stood Regina Mills watching Emma’s every move. There was a pain in her chest that left her confused. She wanted to comfort the crying woman and tell her that she was scared too but she wanted to scream at her and tell her to get the hell out of her life at the same time. When the yellow beetle drove away Regina went back to her desk. She saw the adoption files Emma had left behind on the desk. She picked them up and tried to comprehend what had just happened. Her life had forever changed. This afternoon she would pick Henry up from school, knowing that his birth mother was down the road. She felt conflicted. Should she hide this from him or should she tell him? He was ten. He could decide what he wanted to do with the information, but she didn’t want to hurt him. He knew he was adopted, but Regina didn’t want to put him in a situation that might end badly. What if she told Henry, but then Emma left? He would then have to deal with a whole new kind of pain.  
She thought back to Henry as a baby. What he looked like, what his laugh sounded like, what he smelled like. He was her baby. She needed to protect him. But how? She did not know.

When Mary Margaret got home from school, Emma was already home.  
“You’re home early. Everything okay?”  
Emma looked up and that was when the brunette noticed she was crying. “Oh Emma, what happened?”  
“I told Regina. She didn’t take it well. Told me to leave.”  
“I’m so sorry Emma. Maybe she just needs time to process, like I’m sure you do. This is a big deal for both of you. It’s not something you can come to terms with in one conversation.”  
“Yeah…” Emma drifted off.  
“Give her a week. If she hasn’t contacted you after that, then go see her again. That will give you time to figure out what you want too. I mean, do you want Henry in your life?”  
“Yes.” Of that Emma was certain.  
“Okay then,” Mary Margaret smiled gently, “Call her on Monday if she hasn’t done so by then.”  
“That sounds like a good plan. Thank you. In the meantime, can you keep an eye on him at school and let me know how he’s doing?”  
“Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> I'm sorry for such a long wait between chapters. I just went back to university but the semester will be over in 5 weeks so expect lots of updates then!  
> I'll keep posting as often as I can. I'm excited for you to see where this story is going <3
> 
> Press that Kudos button and leave a comment! I love reading them and hearing what you like (or even what you don't like) xx


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like this chapter! Things are really starting to get moving!

Regina sat staring at her cellphone. The Sheriff's department number was staring back at her. She laughed at herself, she couldn’t remember the last time she was this nervous to talk to someone. She pressed the call button and waited.  
“Sheriff’s station, how may I help?” Emma’s beautiful voice rang in her ears.  
“Miss Swan, it’s Regina. Could you please meet me at my house at 5:00pm sharp tonight? I would like to speak to you.” Regina said, as professionally as she could with all her conflicting emotions running through her heart.  
Emma was astounded. She had not expected Regina to make the first move. She had already planned exactly what she was going to say when she called her on Monday and yet here she was, being asked to come over only four days after speaking to her about Henry.  
“Of course. Do you want me to bring anything?”  
“Just yourself dear. See you this evening.” Regina hung up.

Emma knocked three times on the large front door of the white mansion. She checked her phone, it was 6:00pm exactly. As she waited she shifted her weight from one foot to the other nervously. A second later the door opened and Regina came into view. She was wearing a white button down shirt with high waisted black pants and her lips were painted blood red as always.  
“Come in,” Regina smiled confidently although underneath her tough exterior was a feeling of complete vulnerability.  
Emma smiled back and walked in. She had to stop her mouth from falling open as she took in Regina’s home. It was open and light with a large staircase curving upstairs on her left. She could see through to the living room decorated with creams. The house was way softer than her office.  
Emma turned around to see Regina eyeing her and she blushed, “Your home is beautiful.”  
“Thank you Miss Swan. Follow me.” Regina started walking up the steps of the foyer and turned left into a home office. She gestured to a sofa, inviting Emma to sit down. Regina took her seat opposite the blonde.  
“I didn’t expect you to call.” Emma admitted honestly.  
“Why’s that?” Regina tilted her head slightly, trying to sound indifferent.  
“You don’t like me.” Emma shrugged, “It’s obvious.”  
Regina nodded slowly, “Observant.”  
Emma rolled her eyes. As many questions as she had for Regina, she wanted Regina to speak first. She wanted to know exactly what page Regina was on before she potentially dug herself deeper into the pit of unlikableness she was in.  
Regina’s body language and expression took a sudden shift. She sat up straight and crossed her arms. “Miss Swan, you have very clearly shown your lack of responsibility and your brazen willingness to break the law while acquiring these documents. You are certainly not someone I would ever want my son to have in his life and for this reason I demand you never speak to my son, nor try to contact him or I, and if you break the law one more time you’re fired.”  
“Regina, this is a little harsh!”  
Regina stood up and looked down at Emma. With blackness in her eyes she said, “Miss Swan you made a decision ten years ago and in the last decade while you’ve been… well who knows what you’ve been doing, I’ve changed every diaper, soothed every fever, endured every tantrum. You may have given birth to him but he is my son.”  
“I was not-”  
“No! You don’t get to speak. You don’t get to do anything. You gave up that right when you tossed him away. Do you know what a closed adoption is?” Regina asked rhetorically, “It’s what you asked for. You have no legal right to Henry and you’re going to be held to that. So I suggest you get in your car and you leave this town.”  
Regina glared down at Emma.  
“Do you love him?” Emma asked.  
“What?”  
“Henry, do you love him?”  
“Of course I love him.”  
Emma desperately searched for the lie but there was none. Regina loved Henry and from what Emma could tell, Henry loved her. She stood up, defeated. Regina gestured to the door and so Emma, getting the message, got up and walked out. Regina followed her until Emma was standing on the porch.  
“Goodbye Miss Swan.” She said harshly before slamming the door.  
Emma stared at the door, her eyes wide. Whatever she thought would happen, that was not it. She walked down the pathway back to her car. Just before she got in she looked up at the mansion and saw a little boy staring down at her through his window. He disappeared when he noticed she had seen him.

Henry watched the yellow bug drive away from the house. She recognized the woman from Granny’s Diner. She was sitting with Mary Margaret. Mom had said something about her being Ruby’s latest, whatever that meant.  
He headed downstairs to find his mom in the kitchen dishing up supper. It was lasagna, his favourite.  
“Who was that?” He asked.  
“That is none of your concern Henry. It was just work stuff.” Regina smiled.  
Henry accepted that answer. He knew his mom was a private woman and asking more questions wouldn’t get himself anywhere. Instead, he started setting the table.  
“How was school?” Regina asked once they had sat down and started eating.  
“It was so much fun. Miss Blanchard let us watch a documentary about the ocean.” Henry said with his mouth full.  
Regina raised an eyebrow. Watching a movie at school wasn’t exactly her idea of a good school day. She should have a word with Mary Margaret.  
She watched her son as he ate his dinner and talked to her about all sorts of things. He was a chatty boy. Maybe he got that from Emma. She wasn’t the chattiest woman so it couldn’t have come from her. She shut that thought down as soon as it entered her mind. Emma was getting in her head. She was so conflicted about whether or not she should tell Henry. He was old enough to decide if he wanted to meet his birth mother but Regina wasn’t sure she could handle it if he said he did.

Emma arrived home to find David and Mary Margaret chatting in the kitchen.  
“David? What are you doing here?” The blonde asked, suspiciously.  
He looked at Mary Margaret before quickly answering, “Um, Mary Margaret wants me to help her at school. She wants me to give some sort of talk about what being Sheriff is like and tell them about the law. You know how kids are these days. Especially when they reach double digits,” He laughed nervously, “Right?”  
“Right,” Mary Margaret said before Emma could ask any more questions.  
“Well, that sounds fun. Maybe I could join as the Deputy?” Emma asked. The idea of possibly seeing and getting to talk to Henry excited her and this was the perfect excuse.  
“Sure,” David smiled. He was fond of Emma. She was good at her job and a good friend to Mary Margaret. He just hoped that didn’t mean she would have to join his and Mary Margaret's ‘meetings’.

Emma went up to her room and lay on her bed. Her mind was racing with thoughts about Henry and Regina. About half an hour later Mary Margaret knocked on her door.  
“Hey, where were you this afternoon? David said your shift wasn’t scheduled to end this late.”  
“I was at Regina’s.” Emma said, sighing.  
“Oh? How did it go?” Mary Margaret came and sat on her bed.  
Emma sat up and leaned against the headboard. “She said she wasn’t going to let me see him. Since I have no legal right to him, there’s nothing I can do and I quote ‘you gave up that right when you tossed him away’,” Emma said while gesturing her hands to signal quotation marks.  
Mary Margaret’s mouth dropped open just a faction, “Well that’s a little cruel to say.”  
“I know!” Emma suddenly burst. She had been feeling the need to scream ever since she left Regina’s.  
“And I saw him through his window and he was looking at me! He was right there Mary Margaret, and she wouldn’t even let me say hi!”  
Mary Margaret just sat and listened to Emma let out her frustrations. While she couldn't possibly know how Emma was feeling, it was always helpful to have someone to vent to.  
“Ugh, enough about me.” Emma was tired of thinking about infuriating Regina. “Why was David really here?”  
Mary Margaret looked down, “It’s so bad Emma. He’s married! We can’t do this but we also can’t stop. I’m falling in love with him. But his wife is so friendly. I can’t hurt her, but really, I already have, she just doesn’t know it. I am a terrible person.”  
“You are not a terrible person! Look, there's only one way you can fix this.”  
Mary Margaret looked back up at Emma hopefully.  
Emma continued, “He has to choose. Tell him that nothing more will happen between you two unless he chooses you. But if he chooses his wife, then you have to forget him.”  
Mary Margaret nodded. She knew Emma was right.  
“What if he chooses Katherine?” She said quietly. And then a second later she sucked in a fast breath, “What if he chooses me?”

A week had passed since Regina practically threw Emma out her house and the only contact they’d had since then was the town meeting. Regina took that opportunity to dump a whole lot more unnecessary paperwork on Emma. “Have it to me by Monday” she had said, which meant Emma basically didn’t have a weekend. She hadn’t had a day off in a while and she was starting to get burnt out. But that would have to be dealt with later because today was the day of her and David’s presentation at the school. Her anxiety was through the roof. She was going to meet Henry properly. It killed her inside to know that he had no idea who she was. He was going to meet her and not even know he was meeting his birth mom.  
Her and David got out of the cruiser and walked up to the reception at Storybrooke Primary School. Mary Margaret was waiting for them.  
“Hey guys! Come on through.” She led them to her classroom. Her door was decorated with pictures of animals and flowers and it had ‘Miss Blanchard’ written across it in big black letters. When Emma stepped into the classroom behind Mary Margaret a whole swarm of eyes looked at her. She looked down at the class of ten year olds and waved. Some waved back. Henry was one of them. He caught her eye immediately. He was sitting up with perfect posture and had a polite but excited expression on his face. His hands were carefully folded in his lap.  
Once Mary Margaret had settled the class down she said, “Good morning class, please welcome Mr. Nolan and Miss Swan!”  
“Good morning Mr. Nolan and Miss Swan,” The students said together in a sort of slow sing-song tune. Emma found it amusing. She side-eyed David and he was chuckling too.

After their presentation Mary Margaret gave the kids a chance to speak to Emma and David separately. She knew some of the kids in her class were too shy to ask questions in front of the class.  
Emma sat down at a spare desk. The desk as well as the chair were ‘kiddie sized’ so she had to squeeze into it. She was watching a little girl talking to David while looking admiringly at his badge when someone came up to her.  
“Hello Miss Swan, my name’s Henry,” Henry said sweetly. His voice was young and innocent and had that cute prepubescent high pitch to it.  
Emma stared wide-eyed at him. She felt like her breath had just been knocked out of her. She took in his floppy brown hair that got in his face, beautiful brown eyes that were eerily similar to Regina's, the freckles on his nose and his cute jutting-out bottom lip. He had a curiosity in his eyes that was unlike anything she had ever seen.  
She regained her composure, “Hi Henry. You can call me Emma.”  
Henry beamed at the special allowance of using Miss Swans first name.  
“Mary Margaret has told me a lot about you.” Emma said, trying to memorize his smile in case she never got to see it again.  
“She has?” Henry tilted his head in question, “Like what?”  
“Well, she tells me you are very smart, friendly, imaginative, and that you love fairytales.”  
Henry’s face lit up. “Yeah I do! Let me show you my book.”  
He reached into his bag and handed her a large and very heavy book. It had the words ‘Once Upon A Time’ written across the front.  
“Oh wow! Can I read it?” She asked politely. Something she had always reminded herself about kids is to never treat them like they are lesser than you. Children are clever and deserve respect and to have their voices heard. She always wished people treated her like that when she was a kid. She wanted to show Henry that he had her full attention and that she was interested in what he was saying.  
“Of course you can! Here, let me show you my favourite story.” He turned to a page with a picture of a man and woman holding each other. It looked like the dark haired woman was wearing a wedding dress. “This is Snow White and Prince Charming on their wedding day,” he turned the page and pointed to the picture of a woman in a long dark dress standing in the aisle with a sword flying towards her, “and then the Evil Queen comes in and threatens them.” Henry’s eyes searched the page until he jabbed at a sentence and read, “‘I will destroy your happiness, if it is the last thing I do’. It’s cool, isn’t it?”  
Emma loved how happy and excited he was at sharing his book. She felt like maybe he didn’t know many people who wanted to hear about it.  
“I love it. I wish I could stay longer so I could hear more. Maybe Mar- Miss Blanchard can tell me more about your book?”  
“She can! She’s the one who gave it to me.”  
“Oh well that's perfect.” Emma felt like her heart was about to burst out of her chest. The love she felt for Henry was overwhelming.  
Emma saw David waving her over. “I gotta go kid. It was nice to meet you.” She held out her hand for him to shake but instead her gave her a hug, wrapping his arms around her middle. She gingerly hugged him back.  
“See you around Emma. Maybe you can borrow my book one day.”

“Bye, thank you for the lift,” Henry waved at Nick and his dad before turning to walk up to his front door. He threw his backpack on the floor in the foyer and ran to find his mom. He knew he would get in trouble for leaving it there and not putting it in his room but he was too excited to tell his mom all about his day at school. He rounded the corner to see her standing in the kitchen.  
“Mom you won’t believe who came to speak to us today. Well, you probably know since you’re the mayor but still. It was the sheri-”.  
He got cut off when Regina turned around and put a finger to her lips. She was on the phone. “Wait for me in my office, I’ll be there in just a second,” Regina whispered.  
Henry nodded and skipped to the home office and fell onto the sofa with a happy sigh. His mom’s office was spotless as usual. Not a single pen or ornament was out of place except for, Henry noticed, a file on the desk. He stood up and looked at the file, wondering what could possibly be so important that it was recklessly left out of place. He opened the file and saw that it was an adoption certificate. Henry knew he was adopted so this was no shock to him but he was curious as to why Regina had been looking at it. He flipped through the other papers until he came upon a document from the adoption agency itself. At the bottom of the page there was a name and a signature.  
Emma Swan.

Regina walked into her office, “Sorry about that dear. So tell me about your exciting day!”  
She froze when she saw her desk in disarray. Papers were spread out everywhere and they looked like they had been rifled through in a hurry. “Henry?” She called while making her way over to her desk. When she saw exactly what papers had been tampered with her heart dropped. Without thinking she ran upstairs hoping to find Henry in his room. She would explain to him why she hadn’t told him the name of his birth mother when she found out. However, she decided to leave out the part about her being in town. He should only have to deal with one problem at a time.  
When Regina opened his bedroom door and saw he wasn’t inside she began to panic. Then it clicked. The reason he was so excited to tell her about school was because the Sheriff’s Department gave a presentation to his class. Henry hadn’t just found out that Regina knew who his birth mother was. He had also found out that she was in this very town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment! I love hearing your thoughts and would gladly accept any criticism or advice.  
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